The Engagement Party
by Natsuki Ishida
Summary: Elliot Nightray, the chosen heir of the Nightray Dukedom, was told that he will be engaged to the daughter of Pacifica, a second-rate noble family from France. They will be helding a party for their engagedment, but it seems that our protagonist doesn't like going to social parties … and not just a party, but an engagement party for him and his soon-to-be-wife.


Chapter I: Dance

The party already started, and Elliot was like a wallflower sitting behind the walls. He nodded and put his hands on the left side of his cheek. He really didn't like social parties, specially that he's the guest of honor.

Ernest went in front of Elliot's seat and bowed, looking at his face; "Why are you having such a slouchy face? You're the guest of honor today you know! You should've smile at the very least."

Elliot blushed and looked away, "You know that I don't like these kinds of parties right! I don't even know I'm supposed to do. It's really boring. I wish this party would end soon…" he sighted.

"Then why don't you try to ask some girls there for a dance? I'm pretty sure that no one will reject you. You're the guess of honor, after all." Said Ernest, teasing him.

"Wha-what?! I c-could never do s-such a thing!"

"Eh… don't tell me…"

"O-of course I know! I could prove it to you! I c-could dance very well!"

"Take a look at that Vessalius guy and the girl he dances with. Their dance look wonderful. Everyone is looking at them."

Elliot was thinking who was that "Vessalius guy" is… He then saw a long-haired girl wearing a red ball gown with tints of pink… While they're dancing, he noticed a blonde-haired guy… "Oz?!"

"Oh, so you know him?"

"Y-yeah, probably."

"That guy… he's taking the attention that you should have tonight."

"What?"

"Can't you see? Because he's wonderfully dancing with that girl, he got everyone's attention. You can't just stand there. Be the center of attraction! You're the guest of honor, you know."

"Oh, just let them be. I don't care anyways."

"Eh… so you're saying that you really don't know how to dance, huh?"

"O-of course I know!"

"Then prove it to me." Ernest grinned.

"I-I will just have to d-dance r-right?"

Ernest nodded and smiled; "That girl with blue gown… the one with choker that have a blue teardrop-shaped stone… her earrings are almost the same too."

"What do you mean?"

"Go and ask her to dance."

"Eh?!"

"No?"

Elliot blushed and stood, "Fine! I'll get it."

Ernest smiled and said, "Good luck!" waving his hans and whispered, "Elly-chan." Elliot, who's already on the way to ask the girl for a dance, gave Ernest a hostile gaze. He doesn't want other people know that his siblings call him "Elly-chan" in front of the party.

"Hey! That Nightray guy! That nightray guy!"

"You mean the heir?!"

"He's coming over here!"

"I wonder if he's gonna ask me to dance."

"Dream on!"

Elliot could hear the chitchats of the noble girls. He was kinda pissed about it but ignored them anyways.

Just a few steps more and Elliot is already near to the girl who wears a blue dress. Until…

"NEE-SAN?!"

"Oh Elly-chan! You finally come!"

"Eh?" said the curious girl who's with Vanessa.

"Okay then." Vanessa (softly) pushed the girl to Elliot's chest. The two got flustered.

"Nee-san what are you doing?!"

Vanessa smiled and said, "Have fan dancing!" and waved her hands.

Elliot have no choice but to ask the girl for a dance, since she's also the girl who wears the blue gown. He embarrassedly moved his hand in front of the girl while his head is reddish and looked away; saying "C-ca-can I have this… d-d-dance?" and looked at the girl's face. The girl had a flustered face, and her left hand is holding her right hand near her chest. She looked away because of her embarrassment and take her a minute before she could answer. Elliot was a little afraid that the girl that he asked to dance might reject him. He was looking away and his hands are sweating. The girl finally looked at her hands the moment she said "M-my ple-pleasure." And put her hands at Elliot's. The girl's hands are shaking, while Elliot's hands are sweating. This is probably the first dance of the two. Last year when Elliot had his coming of age ceremony, he didn't ask anyone to dance because he was shy; that makes his brothers think that he doesn't know how to dance.

When the two was already on the dance floor, Elliot, who's also embarrassed, put the both of his hands to the girl's waist, instead of holding the girl's hand using his other hand. While the girl, who got shocked by Elliot by putting his hands on his waist, got shocked and seems like she doesn't know what to do. Elliot knows that the girl was just embarrassed, and even him. So to end this "embarrassing mode," he took the girl's right hand and was about to say something… but he doesn't want other people to hear what he's going to say, so he whispered to her ear and say, "It's okay. Don't be nervous." And started dancing with dancing, Elliot saw Oz and Alice dancing, and go near to them.

"Yo, chibi."

"If it isn't Elliot!" said Oz.

"So it's you, mole." Said Alice.

"I didn't know that you also know how to dance. I thought the only thing you know is to have a sword play." Oz was teasing Elliot, and somehow Elliot got pissed.

"Of course I know how, idiot!"

Oz giggled and said, "I see. So who's that girl anyways? Is she your girlfriend? You look cute together. You're BOTH embarrassed." He grinned.

"It's not what you think!"

The two almost stopped for a moment because of embarrassment. And to stop this "embarrassing mode" once again, Elliot asked the girl's name. He didn't introduce himself anymore because he thought that everyone already knows him, just like her brother said. And just as usual, the girl's head is still on a bow position.

("What kind of man is asking for a girl's name when he didn't even introduce himself yet… how rude.")

The girl is still embarrassed, and even if he acts "rude," she still says her name in respect but… no voice is coming outside to her mouth.

("Waaah! What am I doing? Why is my voice… waaah what should I do!")

"I guess you can't say your name yet. I'm sorry for my rudeness. I'll be bringing you back to your seat."

After that, Elliot returned to his seat, where his brother Ernest was happily waiting for him.

"So how was it?" he grinned. Elliot blushed and looked away.

"It seems like you look down. Do you have a problem or something?"

"Youuu!"

"What is it?" he grinned

"You told me that everyone knows me!"

"Well of course ye-"

Elliot looked away and blushed, "That girl … when… when I asked her name… she didn't even answer."

Ernest looked puzzled, and paused for a minute; and then…

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Elliot got embarrassed, saying "Hey why are you laughing?!"

While Ernest was wiping his tears of joy, he told to himself, "That girl… she didn't even know Elliot! And her fiancé as well… And even Elliot! HAHAHA! Oh well, I don't want to interrupt this, so I'll let them know each other after the announcement. I'm sure the two of them will be surprised."

("A sword crest… I wonder where I've seen them.. It's kinda familiar to me. But I don't know why... hmmm… Am I forgetting something?")

It's almost 12 o'clock in the evening, and the Nightray family was about to announce the engagement of their son Elliot to the daughter of Pacifica, Cynthia.

"What?! It's already time?! I have to hide now!" whispered to himself. He doesn't want to be engaged, nor to be embarrassed again.

Elliot run and secretly went outside the door. He made sure that no one would see him, that's why he went to the garden and hide.

"Ahhh, why do I have to attend these kinds of parties anyways! If they want to announce something why don't they just announce it privately or announce it normally to the other nobles!"

"Yeah! I definitely agree to that! Why do our parents have to force us to attend this kind of boring party anyways! They're only announcing something right?"

"Yeah!—"

"EH?"  
"EH?"

The two got startled.

"It's you!"  
"It's you!"

"Oh… yeah, aha-ha-ha…"

"I'm-I'm.. I'm very sorry for my attitude a while ago…"

"Oh, it's okay. I forgot to tell my name first that's why I was kinda rude right? That's why I'm introducing myself properly this time. I'm E— ("Crap! What am I thinking?! I was hiding here in this garden so that no one would see me right?! And this girl doesn't even know my name… so I she knew that I'm Elliot Nightray, and is hiding at the announcement time for my engagement, it would be disgrace!")

"E?"

"E-Edgar! My name's Edgar. Edgar… Ca-Cam..Cambridge. I'm Edward Cambridge. It's my pleasure to meet you." ("Woah! Thank goodness I've thought of a name!"

("So that's his name… I didn't heard his name very well when that blonde-haired guy called him. I even though that his name was Ellen.")  
"Oh I'm— (Waaah! I've almost tell him my name! If he knew that I was the fiancé of Elliot Nightray, Cynthia Pacifica, who's hiding here at the announcement time for my engagement, it would be shameful! What name should I tell?! … Oh! I know!)

"Ano… you don't have to force yourself if you don't want to. It's okay."

"Oh no! I'm terribly sorry. My name is Natalia o…Dior! Natalia Dior. It's also a pleasure to meet you." (Ahh… Natalia Dior huh? That name is probably alright… right?)

"So uhhhm.. Lady Natalia right? I was wondering why are you here… aha-ha-ha!"

"Ah-Oh! That?.. Yeah… that's because… I was… I mean… Oh wait! … Why are you also here?"

"I-Im here because.. I-Im already bored to that boring party."

"I see… My reason why I was here was… ("Oh no! What should I say?!") oh… that's… I really d-don't know what to do in this kinds of p-parties."

"B-by the way… c-can I ask how old you are? I'm 16."

"Oh.. so you're younger than me. I'm turning 15… tomorrow."

"Eh?! So it's your coming of age tomorrow!"

"Yes."

"It must be a hard time for you to travel all the way here and go back to your house since it's your birthday tomorrow."

"Oh, it's not like that at all, Elliot-sama." (Since I'm going to celebrate it here and we'll be staying here for the rest of the days.)

"Too bad."

"Eh? Why?"

"I… I mean my family was invited to a birthday celebration tomorrow… and I was asked to be that girl's escort." (She's my fiancé, though)

"Oh… I see." Cynthia looked away.

"It would be nice I could attend to your birthday as well and be your escort." Elliot stopped for a moment. His face automatically turned red. ("WHY DID I SAID THAT?!")

Cynthia's face also turned red, and couldn't respond to Elliot, just like the time when Elliot asked for her name when they were dancing. But Cynthia didn't hate it, and was able to say, "Y-yeah.. It w-would be n-nice if you became m-my e-escort…" ("Ahhh, too bad my escort is my fiance. What a waste…")

"FIND SIR ELLIOT AND LADY CYNTHIA PACIFICA!" A loud voice of the royal guard was heard by the two.

"Oh.. Lady Natalia, I have to go for the r-restroom a bit… cha-chat ya later!"

"Ye-yeah… I have s-something else to do as well… see-see you later!"

Cynthia ran to the left, while Elliot ran to the right. Luckily, Elliot found a place to hide. He lives in this mansion, so he know where to hide. Unfortunately, Cynthia is still running and doesn't know where to hide and the royal guard caught her.

"I FOUND LADY CYNTHIA! I FOUND LADY CYNTHIA! SHE'S HERE!" The guards who were near to the guard who shouts passed the message to the other guards who were in other place."Lady Cynthia Pacifica has been found! Now we only have to search for Sir Elliot!"

Elliot, who was still hiding, heard that.  
("What?! That Cynthia Pacifica is also hiding?! Don't tell me it's… no. It's probably not her. 'coz if she's the real Cynthia Pacifica, they should have introduce her to me. And she doesn't even know me! So it's kinda impossible…"


End file.
